By Aishatu Suleiman, Hasan Kasim, Aliyu M. Yerima and Shuaibu Haruna Departments of Museums and Education (National Museum Gombe & Eco-Museum Hong)
Bura (also known as Bural, Burra, Pabir mya Bura, Kwajaffa, Have, Huviya is indigenous Chadic language spoken in the North-Eastern Nigeria by the Bura-Pabir People.
The dialects includes Pheha Bura, Pela Hill Bura, Hyil Hawul, Bura Hyilhawul and Plani Bura.
The language is closely related to Kilba, Chibok, Marghi and a few other North-Eastern Nigeria Languages.
The Bura People along with the Pabir are believed to have originated in Yemen and migrated through Sudan and the Chad basin and eventually settling in the region encompassing the present day location of Bukir Bura.
They initially settled in Garkida, and then moved to locations near Lake Tilla and Wasunsu (present-day Imusika). In the mid-16th century their interaction with Kanuri People and subsequent conflict with Yamta-ra-Wala, conquered led to the formation of the Pabir (Babur) group, and they became the ruling class and established the Biu Kingdom.
The formation of Bura – Pabir was as a result of the conquest and subsequent inter-marriages between Yamta-ra-wala’s People and the Bura – Pabir (or Babur in Hausa) ethnic group. Today, Bura people and Pabir cultures are considered very similar often regarded as one. The language is facing a shift due to acculturation towards Hausa, the language of the wider environment, particularly among younger generations.
This shift is a concern, as its impacts the preservation of Bura Language and culture.
The Bura People have specific burial and mourning customs, including traditional dances and rituals that vary based on the deceased’s status
Bura history is intertwined with migrations, interactions with so many people and places or towns in Nigeria such as Gombe, Kano, and Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, Bauchi and other places. In Gombe, Bura are found in Yamaltu Deba Local Government, Dadinkowa, Zambuk, Kwadon, Liji, Kwali, Gwani, Jauro-Gotel, and many other places.
The people are mostly farmers especially of their favorite vegetable plant of garden egg (Gauta in Hausa) used as ingredient especially when combined and eaten as part in their food Tuwo and soup made from the vegetable (garden egg).
The Bura attires include big gown for men with the inner wear (Jamfa or ƴar ciki in Hausa).
The women wore a simple garment which includes Buba gown (in Hausa) a typical Nigerian blouse and black asoke tied on the head and another one tied on the waist to complete the full dressing.
They also have their own particular form of head wear similar to a turban which is worn as a crucial symbol of religion representing spiritual devotion, identity and commitment to animist principles.
Animism is the dominant traditional religion, with a worldview that attributes spiritual essence to natural objects. The turban is worn by Animist to cover their long uncut hair which is a distinct mark of animism faith, often seen as a visible mark of declaration of their adherence to the religious teachings and faith.
Sarauniya is the wife of a chief or the community head, often she is referred to as Girbwa. In some cases, women are chosen to wear the turban just as men but alongside the headscarf to further strengthen Animist identity and express their religion.
The chief head of Bura people in Yamaltu Deba follows the chiefdom of Kuji Yamaltu. However, the Bura chief is selected by the Yamaltu Deba chiefdom as the (Kuthi Bura) meaning the Sarkin Bakawan Yamaltu. One among the writers of this publication, Aishatu Suleiman was lucky to be chosen among the Bura women of Yamaltu Deba by the Kuthi Bura of Yamaltu Deba and was installed with a traditional title of Sarauniyan KUTHI Bura also referred to as Sarauniyan Baburawan Yamaltu Deba (meaning queen of Babur in Hausa).
The new Sarauniyan Baburawan Yamaltu (Aishatu Suleiman) Bura settlements are shaped by the natural topography and clan preferences.
The spatial arrangement of buildings and other structures within settlements is influenced by these factors, affecting the political and economic life of the people. An analysis of Bura-Pabir settlements can provide insight into the relationship between the built environment and the socio-cultural fabric of the community.